Ivan Ustinovich Kharchenko was a Soviet ArmyMilitary engineeringColonel and Hero of the Soviet Union. During World War II, he was a platoon commander. Kharchenko was promoted to the rank of Junior lieutenant in 1939, lieutenant in 1943 and senior lieutenant in 1944. He reportedly personally defused more than 50,000 explosives, including bombs, mines, and shells. For his actions in defusing explosives, Kharchenko was named a Hero of the Soviet Union and awarded the Gold Star and Order of Lenin on 2 November 1944. In the citation for the Hero of the Soviet Union award, it was stated that Kharchenko personally defused more than 1500 bombs weighing more than 500 kilograms each and 25,000 other explosive objects. After World War II, Kharchenko continued his military service until retirement in 1964. Until 1956 he was personally engaged in rendering innocuous explosive items left over from World War II. In March 1961, the battalion commanded by Kharchenko led a rescue operation after the Kurenivka mudslide in Kiev.
Early life
Ivan Kharchenko was born on 23 September 1918 in Komarovka village of Nizhyn Uyezd in the Chernigov Governorate to the family of a peasant. He graduated from seven classes and worked as a factory carpenter in Khimki. In 1938, Kharchenko joined the Red Army
World War II
In 1941 Kharchenko became underleitenant and a platoon commander in the 22 Detached Engineering and anti-gas battalion of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops. In 1942 he came back to the unit where he had served in non-commitioned positions -- to the 6th Engineering and anti-gas regiment of the NKVD antiaircraft defense troops. He helped to defuse more than 26,000 German shells, mines and bombs during the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Kiev. On 2 November 1944, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin for his actions in defusing unexploded ordnance and mines.
Postwar
After the end of World War II, Kharchenko defused more than 16,000 unexploded bombs, as well as other explosive devices. In 1950, he graduated from the High Officers' Engineering School in Moscow. In 1964, Kharchenko left military service and worked in the Ministry of Assembly and Special Construction Works in Kiev until his retirement in 1986. He died on 1 July 1989 and is buried in the Berkovetskaya Cemetery.
Military service
1938–1941 — 31 Detached Engineering and anti-gas battalion of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops, NKVD, cadet, squad leader, company's petty officer
1941 — Courses of Unterleutnants in Leningrad Command school of the Head Department of Military engineering, cadet
1941–1942 — 22 Detached Engineering and anti-gas battalion of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops, NKVD, commander of a platoon
1942–1943 — 31 Detached Engineering and anti-gas battalion of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops, NKVD, commander of a platoon
1943–1945 — 6 Engineering and anti-gas regiment of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops, NKVD, commander of a platoon
1945–1951 — 6 Engineering and anti-gas regiment of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops, Interior Ministry, commander of a company
1951–1955 — 3 detachment of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops, Interior Ministry, commander of a pyrotechnical team
1955–1956 — 6 Engineering and anti-gas regiment of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops, Interior Ministry, commander of a pyrotechnical service
1956–1960 — 6 Engineering and anti-gas regiment of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops, Interior Ministry, commander of an engineering battalion
1960–1962 — 120 Detached Engineering and anti-gas regiment of Local Anti-Aircraft Defence troops, Soviet Army, Kiev Military District, commander of an engineering battalion
